The Highs Are Too High

He ran, in the slick black street
Looking back
Over his shoulder
The streetlights watched and winked
He ran, sweating, in the rain
He had left them, sipping cocktails like
In a silent movie
A roomful of teeth, white and waiting
Walls & windows breathing

He slipped, in the gutter
Weeping in frustration
Spinning from martinis
Laughing at the water

- The highs are too high
- And the lows are way too low

Strangers changing faces
Underneath umbrellas
Turning into animals
A predatory carnival

- The highs are too high
- And the lows are way too low

Sleeping in their taxis
Old men behind their papers
The women in the alley
Are smiling at him strangely

- The highs are too high
- And the lows are way too low